Why Yukimura Had to Lose And What Bothers Me About His Album
Last night, I had one of those nights, starting rather earlier. Around 7pm. I couldn't do anything that required focused attention, imagination and more than a tiny little bit of effort any more. That means I couldn't read or write anything. Even IMing was a challenge. Fortunately, Zero-chan somehow sensed it and bombarded me with funny youtube videos. I watched them and ended up watching random videos that popped up in this "related videos" column. We ended up watching Tezuka/Fuji AMVs and discussing SanaYuki and OTPs in general, but I was someplace far away and had problems keeping up. So when she went offline, I shut down all Messengers, too, and ended up watching even more random videos.
I came across a Rikkai video that featured scenes I didn't know. That is: Yukimura playing tennis. And I remembered. I HAD NEVER WATCHED THE FINALS OVA!!!!!!!!!!!!
SUDDENLY, all of a sudden, I had a MISSION for the night: WATCH FINALS OVA.
And watch them I did. Not all, but those I was most interested in: Fuji vs. Niou and Echizen vs. Yukimura.
While watching the match Echizen vs. Yukimura, I realized something. Or rather, I realized a WHOLE SHITLOAD OF THINGS.
I now understand what Prince of Tennis IS ALL ABOUT.
So, what is it all about?
First of all, it's about tennis. (Duh.)
It is also about a boy that has the genius ability to overcome himself again and again and again. Loses one or two unofficial matches, but never an official match. Socially awkward, bratty and with a strength his body is not supposed to harbour. Mary Sue qualities? Perhaps. But there's more to it. Later.
It is also about this tennis club that unites strength, genius, conviction, devotion and idealism, in short: the spirit of young teenage boys. The school name, Seishun (Gakuen), fits: "youthful", "springtime of life".
The boys are very different from each other, but all of them share one character trait: They absolutely love what they're doing.
It is also about rivalry. And there is one rival in particular that is important to the story: Rikkai. And even more specifically, Yukimura Seiichi, who is even more a Mary Sue (or rather, Gary Stu) character than Echizen Ryôma: Undefeated, hasn't dropped a single game, doesn't look like he's strong enough to pull that off, seems easy-going and nice on the outside and is still a terrific and not really easy-going tennis player, tragic history of an illness that had to be cured with a very dangerous surgery (on top of that, an illness that DOES exist, but DOES NOT need a surgery to be cured in reality, Konomi-sensei failed at research there), makes an unbelievable comeback, stronger than ever before... (why is it always Echizen who gets labelled "Mary Sue/Gary Stu", not Yukimura, by the way? Do people not see it?)
While watching this match, I suddenly realized why Yukimura, or rather, why RIKKAI just HAD to lose.
And no, it was not because of the story of Seigaku's rise. And Yukimura did not have to lose because there's a rule that states "Echizen does not lose an official match because he is the protagonist". Well, okay, of course it was. But there's more to it.
Yukimura had to lose that match because he was wrong and Echizen was right.
And this is what Prince of Tennis is all about. It's about tennis being supposed to be fun, as it is for Seigaku, not a battle, as it is for Rikkai, and especially for Yukimura.
Yukimura had to lose because all he wants is victory, completely forgetting the whole "fun" point, as Nanjirô helpfully explains. Echizen wins because he realized that he, too, had almost forgotten WHY he plays tennis: Because it's FUN. And since he realizes that, he reaches another (completely ridiculous, unbelievable) state of whatwasitcalled Complete Union or something.
He wins because he plays for the fun, and the victory is just something that tags along. If you do something because it's fun, because you love it more than anything, you're automatically good at it. Everyone has that. It's not only about tennis, or sports in general. People can be good at giving speeches, at writing novels, at playing a musical instrument or singing because they love it more than anything. People who do something only for victory (or for money) usually get beaten by those who do the same for personal fulfilment.
Prince of Tennis is about idealism, and Echizen Ryôma (as the representative for Seishun Gakuen) is Personified Idealism. I don't see Echizen as a "real character" any more because he is not supposed to be one. He is the message of this series: Never forget that what you're doing is supposed to be FUN! Sports are FUN, not a battle!
And because Yukimura (as the representative for Rikkai) forgot that essential lesson, he had to lose.
I understand now why Rikkai lost and Seigaku won. I understand now why Yukimura lost against Echizen.
To be honest, now that I understand it, I wouldn't want it any other way. Losing gives Yukimura the chance to develop his character. He said so himself when he offered Echizen to play against him once more, this time "having fun with tennis". And when I see Yukimura playing Echizen while having fun, I would be most devastated if he lost.
Because Yukimura is better than Echizen, strength-wise, technique-wise. He won't lose his striving to win, and paired with his new-found fun with tennis, he will be unbeatable. Echizen realized what it takes to win before Yukimura did, but before he realized it, he was about to be completely and utterly defeated.
I'm counting on Yukimura to defeat Echizen once he's figured out that tennis is fun, not a battle.
There's also something similar I want to say about the match Fuji vs. Niou. Niou, who almost perfectly imitates strong players, falls short of completely imitating Tezuka. His defeat means "you can never win by trying to be someone you're not". That translates into "you can never be successful by trying to be someone you're not".
I'm looking forward to seeing the match Tezuka promised Fuji. I'm also looking forward to Fuji giving his everything and defeating Tezuka.
That was that. Now on to something else: Yukimura Seiichi's album. juventina2509 pointed out its existence to me, for which I am very grateful.
The songs on this album are beautiful. I love every single one of them. But I have a tiny little problem with them, too.
I can't see Yukimura Seiichi. At least not the one of later chapters, not the Yukimura Seiichi after his release from hospital. Not Yukimura Seiichi when he plays tennis. He said once, "if you take tennis away from me, I am nothing. I am tennis."
So why, why does he not get a song that shows that?
The songs on this album are similar to his singles (released while in hospital), sound-wise. I haven't listened to the words in particular yet (because I completely fail at understanding sung words), but just sound-wise, I don't see on-court kick-ass Yukimura, but off-court gentle and kind Yukimura.
But just look at him play. His tennis is scary, as Kin-chan points out. On-court Yukimura is a dangerous, ruthless, cold-blooded, make-no-prisoners battle machine that doesn't see anything else than victory. He is the driving force behind Rikkai. He deserves songs just like the Rikkai songs from the musical: dangerous. Because that is what he is.
He does have this gentle side. He loves gardening, so of course the song about gardening is completely justified. But I miss a song that makes me FEEL the danger that his Yukimura Seiichi on the court just from the sound of it. At least one song that delivers the message "I will completely and utterly destroy you and you won't even see it coming". His opponents go NUMB and he knows that! He is completely unfazed by the pity that is Echizen half-way through the match during the finals when Yukimura is leading 4-0 and Echizen is on the ground, unable to hear, see and feel. He completely destroys Kin-chan's exuberance in very few seconds, leaving him shuddering and stammering.
Why is there no song that gives me goosebumps like watching him on court does?
I came across a Rikkai video that featured scenes I didn't know. That is: Yukimura playing tennis. And I remembered. I HAD NEVER WATCHED THE FINALS OVA!!!!!!!!!!!!
SUDDENLY, all of a sudden, I had a MISSION for the night: WATCH FINALS OVA.
And watch them I did. Not all, but those I was most interested in: Fuji vs. Niou and Echizen vs. Yukimura.
While watching the match Echizen vs. Yukimura, I realized something. Or rather, I realized a WHOLE SHITLOAD OF THINGS.
I now understand what Prince of Tennis IS ALL ABOUT.
So, what is it all about?
First of all, it's about tennis. (Duh.)
It is also about a boy that has the genius ability to overcome himself again and again and again. Loses one or two unofficial matches, but never an official match. Socially awkward, bratty and with a strength his body is not supposed to harbour. Mary Sue qualities? Perhaps. But there's more to it. Later.
It is also about this tennis club that unites strength, genius, conviction, devotion and idealism, in short: the spirit of young teenage boys. The school name, Seishun (Gakuen), fits: "youthful", "springtime of life".
The boys are very different from each other, but all of them share one character trait: They absolutely love what they're doing.
It is also about rivalry. And there is one rival in particular that is important to the story: Rikkai. And even more specifically, Yukimura Seiichi, who is even more a Mary Sue (or rather, Gary Stu) character than Echizen Ryôma: Undefeated, hasn't dropped a single game, doesn't look like he's strong enough to pull that off, seems easy-going and nice on the outside and is still a terrific and not really easy-going tennis player, tragic history of an illness that had to be cured with a very dangerous surgery (on top of that, an illness that DOES exist, but DOES NOT need a surgery to be cured in reality, Konomi-sensei failed at research there), makes an unbelievable comeback, stronger than ever before... (why is it always Echizen who gets labelled "Mary Sue/Gary Stu", not Yukimura, by the way? Do people not see it?)
While watching this match, I suddenly realized why Yukimura, or rather, why RIKKAI just HAD to lose.
And no, it was not because of the story of Seigaku's rise. And Yukimura did not have to lose because there's a rule that states "Echizen does not lose an official match because he is the protagonist". Well, okay, of course it was. But there's more to it.
Yukimura had to lose that match because he was wrong and Echizen was right.
And this is what Prince of Tennis is all about. It's about tennis being supposed to be fun, as it is for Seigaku, not a battle, as it is for Rikkai, and especially for Yukimura.
Yukimura had to lose because all he wants is victory, completely forgetting the whole "fun" point, as Nanjirô helpfully explains. Echizen wins because he realized that he, too, had almost forgotten WHY he plays tennis: Because it's FUN. And since he realizes that, he reaches another (completely ridiculous, unbelievable) state of whatwasitcalled Complete Union or something.
He wins because he plays for the fun, and the victory is just something that tags along. If you do something because it's fun, because you love it more than anything, you're automatically good at it. Everyone has that. It's not only about tennis, or sports in general. People can be good at giving speeches, at writing novels, at playing a musical instrument or singing because they love it more than anything. People who do something only for victory (or for money) usually get beaten by those who do the same for personal fulfilment.
Prince of Tennis is about idealism, and Echizen Ryôma (as the representative for Seishun Gakuen) is Personified Idealism. I don't see Echizen as a "real character" any more because he is not supposed to be one. He is the message of this series: Never forget that what you're doing is supposed to be FUN! Sports are FUN, not a battle!
And because Yukimura (as the representative for Rikkai) forgot that essential lesson, he had to lose.
I understand now why Rikkai lost and Seigaku won. I understand now why Yukimura lost against Echizen.
To be honest, now that I understand it, I wouldn't want it any other way. Losing gives Yukimura the chance to develop his character. He said so himself when he offered Echizen to play against him once more, this time "having fun with tennis". And when I see Yukimura playing Echizen while having fun, I would be most devastated if he lost.
Because Yukimura is better than Echizen, strength-wise, technique-wise. He won't lose his striving to win, and paired with his new-found fun with tennis, he will be unbeatable. Echizen realized what it takes to win before Yukimura did, but before he realized it, he was about to be completely and utterly defeated.
I'm counting on Yukimura to defeat Echizen once he's figured out that tennis is fun, not a battle.
There's also something similar I want to say about the match Fuji vs. Niou. Niou, who almost perfectly imitates strong players, falls short of completely imitating Tezuka. His defeat means "you can never win by trying to be someone you're not". That translates into "you can never be successful by trying to be someone you're not".
I'm looking forward to seeing the match Tezuka promised Fuji. I'm also looking forward to Fuji giving his everything and defeating Tezuka.
That was that. Now on to something else: Yukimura Seiichi's album. juventina2509 pointed out its existence to me, for which I am very grateful.
The songs on this album are beautiful. I love every single one of them. But I have a tiny little problem with them, too.
I can't see Yukimura Seiichi. At least not the one of later chapters, not the Yukimura Seiichi after his release from hospital. Not Yukimura Seiichi when he plays tennis. He said once, "if you take tennis away from me, I am nothing. I am tennis."
So why, why does he not get a song that shows that?
The songs on this album are similar to his singles (released while in hospital), sound-wise. I haven't listened to the words in particular yet (because I completely fail at understanding sung words), but just sound-wise, I don't see on-court kick-ass Yukimura, but off-court gentle and kind Yukimura.
But just look at him play. His tennis is scary, as Kin-chan points out. On-court Yukimura is a dangerous, ruthless, cold-blooded, make-no-prisoners battle machine that doesn't see anything else than victory. He is the driving force behind Rikkai. He deserves songs just like the Rikkai songs from the musical: dangerous. Because that is what he is.
He does have this gentle side. He loves gardening, so of course the song about gardening is completely justified. But I miss a song that makes me FEEL the danger that his Yukimura Seiichi on the court just from the sound of it. At least one song that delivers the message "I will completely and utterly destroy you and you won't even see it coming". His opponents go NUMB and he knows that! He is completely unfazed by the pity that is Echizen half-way through the match during the finals when Yukimura is leading 4-0 and Echizen is on the ground, unable to hear, see and feel. He completely destroys Kin-chan's exuberance in very few seconds, leaving him shuddering and stammering.
Why is there no song that gives me goosebumps like watching him on court does?